Pesto is delicious and often paired with pasta. But there are many other tasty ideas. Drizzle pesto over oven-roasted vegetables, swirl in a soup, or spread over bread and layer with sandwich toppings. We’ve compiled this insanely delicious pesto and drizzled it over a salad, then topped it with a poached egg, halloumi, or tempeh. The secret to this great pesto is in the nutrient-rich kale stems.
Tip
Looking to go fully vegan in this recipe? Switch out Parmesan with nutritional yeast and serve pesto drizzled over pan-fried tempeh burgers.
Tomato, Eggs, and Beans with Creamy Kale Pesto
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) coarsely chopped raw cashews or blanched almonds, soaked
- 1 1/2 cups (350 mL) chopped kale stems
- 1 cup (250 mL) packed fresh basil, blanched, strained, and blotted dry
- 1 cup (250 mL) packed parsley sprigs, blanched, strained, and blotted dry
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) finely grated Parmesan or nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
- 2 tsp (10 mL) blonde miso
- 1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) freshly ground black pepper
- Generous pinch of crushed dried red pepper
- 14 oz (398 mL) can of cannellini or white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 4 large curly lettuce leaves or curly endive
- 1/2 ripe avocado, sliced
- 4 poached organic eggs, pan-fried halloumi, or tempeh burgers
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories251
- protein14g
- fat13g
- saturated fat3g
- trans fat0g
- carbohydrates23g
- sugars3g
- fibre10g
- sodium318mg
Directions
01
In small bowl, place nuts and cover with 1 cup (250 mL) cold water. Set aside for at least 2 hours to soften. For optimal results, soak for up to 7 hours.
02
Drain well and place in high-speed blender along with remaining pesto ingredients. Pulse, scraping down inside of bowl, until coarsely pureu0301ed. Add water, 2 Tbsp (30 mL) at a time, and pulse until mixture is as smooth and creamy as you like. Add more seasonings to taste, if you wish.
03
Transfer to airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Alternatively, pack into ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen, transfer to sealed container and freeze for up to 1 month. Makes about 2 1/2 cups (625 mL) pesto.
04
In medium-sized bowl, combine beans and tomatoes. Gently toss together.
05
To serve, line 4 serving plates with lettuce. Spoon bean and tomatoes on top. Place a couple of avocado slices on each and top with some pesto. Place poached egg on each and another dollop of pesto. Serve immediately.
Irene McGuinness is a writer, recipe developer, food stylist for numerous magazines and corporations, and alumna of the Writer’s Studio at Simon Fraser University
